16-year-old Toowoomba boy seeks bail, claims mum set him up

A young boy claimed his mother sent herself threatening messages from his account in retaliation for denying her drug money.

Picture: Kevin Farmer

A teenage boy has suggested to a Toowoomba court his mother orchestrated his detention after he refused to supply her drug money.

A 16-year-old boy appeared before Toowoomba Magistrate Court on Thursday seeking bail on charges of using a carriage service to make a threat and wilful damage.

Police claimed the boy sent a string of menacing Snapchat messages to his mother which referenced a threat he made towards his father and sister at an earlier date.

“He has threatened to light his dad on fire and light his sister on fire and has also attempted to burn his dad’s house down,” the prosecutor alleged.

“(In regards to his mother) he’s essentially snapped and then he’s continued to barrage her with abusive messages and threats that he will do the same thing to her that he attempted to do to both his sister and his father.

“She is very fearful that he will essentially follow through with those threats.”

The boy was on bail for the alleged offences against his father and sister when police claim he offended against his mother.

Police conceded, however, the boy had shown an almost 100 per cent compliance with bail conditions excluding the accusations regarding his mother.

The boy’s duty lawyer Matt Gemmell argued the allegations were complete lies conjured up by the boy’s mother.

“It is the case my client offers a completely contrary version,” Mr Gemmell said.

“It’s not a controversial statement that his mother has a lengthy experience before this court, also his father and his sister.

“I’m not saying those things to disparage those people; however the credibility of the witnesses must be taken in full force in relation to this particular proceedings,” he said.

Mr Gemmell claimed his client’s mother had sent the messages herself in order to frame her son.

“It’s quite interesting that my client was able to message his mother considering police have seized his phone,” he said.

“He was at home, his mother asked him for money to buy methamphetamine.

“(He) was quite angry as she told him she had actually quit … he left the house.

“The way he was using his social media services and products was actually by using his mother’s phone

“It’s my respectful submission that this gives strong credibility in my client’s version that his mother sent those messages from his account to hers from her phone in order to corroborate her own version.”

Magistrate Kyna Morice granted bail on the condition the boy avoid all contact with his immediate family.

“It’s not the case he is charged with offences for random members of the public,” Ms Morice said.

“Given that he does comply with bail conditions of no contact would adequately mitigate the risk of further offending – it seems fairly isolated.”

Originally published as 16-year-old Toowoomba boy seeks bail, claims mum set him up